Thinking about becoming a vet? Get career advice from a real vet.

Question

Hell I do not have a pet but I want to be a vet when I get older. I want to know some answers for a project. 1 is how much is an average that you make. What made u interested into this field. What animals do u work with. What college did u attend. How long did it take to get where u are. Do u have any other achievements in this career. What advice would you give me. Lastly what are advantages and disadvantages of being a vet. If a vet could answer these questions that would be helpful. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | 12 years and 11 months old | 20 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Hi, I am a vet and I'd be glad to answer your questions! The average a vet makes varies by area and clinics, and the type of animal you work with (i.e. large animal, small animal, equine), but the average starting salary can be around $70k. I've always wanted to be a veterinarian, even since I can remember. It's the only job I've wanted to do since I was a child. I work with small animals and horses. I attended Purdue University for my undergraduate degrees, but i went to Massey University in New Zealand for veterinary school. It's accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, and I got to move to the most beautiful country in the world :-) It took me a long time to get where I am, as I didn't get into vet school right away. I went and got a master's degree before going back to vet school. If you get into vet school right out of college, it will take at least eight years total (four in college and four in vet school) before you are a qualified vet. I'm not sure what you mean by any other achievements in this career, sorry. You need to be aware that being a vet isn't a 9-5 job. It's very long hours, there is a high amount of debt from vet school, and the pay relatively isn't great for the amount of debt. I do love working with animals, but sometimes working with owners carries its own difficulties. It's also hard to lose a patient, and seeing cases of animal abuse are especially difficult. You really have to have a passion for animals for this job, but also understand it's not easy. The road to get here is very hard and the job itself is very hard, but it can be rewarding. If you want a true idea of what it's like to be a vet, I would volunteer at a vet's clinic to get that experience. I hope this helps!

Thinking about becoming a vet? Get career advice from a real vet.

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